Emperor's Shadow
by Darth Riven
Summary: Kroder Dermayil, the Emperor's Shadow, one of the Empire's top agents survived Palpantine's last death. This is the story of his life, post-Palpantine. Post-ROTJ, cameos by Luke, Mara and Jacen. A bit of background reading for Legacy: Family Ties.
1. Emperor's Shadow Part 1

EMPEROR'S SHADOW 

Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by George Lucas and LucasArts so all the main concepts are owned by him as are most of the characters in the story. The original characters that I made upare based off an RPG I GMed on JCC.

Author's Note: Chapter 1 is set during the Bantam era, just after the end of Dark Empire but Chapter 2 is post-NJO and will be based off NJO and the post-NJO storylines.

"It's useless sir," the sensors operator told him, "we're outnumbered and surrounded and penned between the Interdictor and the planet."

"I know," the reply, terse, came from Captain Dermayil, "we are outnumbered at least five to one, there is no use in launching the fighters, I would not waste lives in a futile battle that will end only in our destruction." Motioning for his second-in-command Lieutenant Dagon to come over, he whispered to her, "To keep all the crew together you will defect to the Rebels and take me prisoner, this is an order not a request," he whispered to keep her from protesting, "you will most likely be promoted to Captain and most of the crew will stay, most likely they will only assign a few officers of their own. Serve them well, then when you get the chance, kill them and take your ship back to the base in Imperial Territory."

She looked slightly apprehensive but she replied, "But sir, the Rebels will do unspeakable things to you, they will torture you all day and night and then kill you, I cannot let you…" he hushed her, knowing that even though they loved one another, that to him, the ship and its crews' survival came first.

"I will bear it, the work we are doing is most important and the Rebels must never find out. They will search for you but they will never find you. Look, it is the only way. You will take some of the other senior officers into your confidence but that is all, now hurry, I think we are going to be fired upon soon." She hurried away to find the other officers

"Sir, the Rebels are calling on us to surrender," the communications ensign called out, as he saw Lieutenant Dagon hurriedly filling in the other senior officers. Captain Dermayil composed himself, and waited for a moment, _it was now or never, time to put that plan into action_, he gave Lieutenant Dagon a small wink, raised himself out of the Captain's chair and shouted through the communications channel, "The Captain of the _Dark Avatar_, would never surrender to you Rebel scum, prepare to die!" The last phrase reverberated through the whole command centre as he signalled to Ensign Coros to keep the lines open, "Shields up. Batteries…" all was going along to plan, as he saw in his peripheral vision, Lieutenant Dagon, his XO fire a blue stun blast at him, as she said, "I can't allow you to sacrifice people in this way." The blue stun blast took him and he faded into unconsciousness.

Jori signalled their surrender to the Rebels as their security chief, Captain Orton bound Captain Dermayil in stun cuffs, and awaited the arrival of the Rebel boarding team, whom took the Captain into their custody. The Rebels commanding officer, acknowledged their said that the planet that they were guarding could apply for entry to the New Republic. Little did they know that this planet was only a stop on _Dark Avatar's_ supply run. "The offer is accepted then, the outpost will have to agree as well, but think that the young Major in charge will come around to our position quite easily," Jori responded, in her soft silky voice, indicating nothing but agreement in it, even though her mind was elsewhere. "We will transmit the application soon," she called out as the Rebel Officers left the ship. _Now all we have to do is wait for them to leave_.

Kroder awoke to the cold confines of a cell on board some ship. Surprisingly, the cuffs were gone. A small dread crept through his body as he recalled what had been taught to him about the Rebels, by his master, the now dead Emperor, his liege. _They will leave you alone for a while, while your fear and dread grows, then they will come and inflict on you endless pain as they interrogate through day and through night until you break and confess all your secrets, and then they will torture you some more for fun, for it is a pleasure to them to see pain inflicted on one of law-abiding people, then and only then, when you are reduced to a shadow of a man will they kill you_. He sat brooding, trying to calm himself as he put those thoughts away. _I will not tell them anything_.

The door to the cell slid open and two security guards led him out, into another room, blank with four walls like his cell. An officer entered, by his look, he would be the interrogator. _They will get nothing from me_, Kroder thought as he steeled himself. The office spoke, "Captain Dermayil, I am here to ask you some questions." _My mouth will remain shut to you_. The officer asked his first question. No answer came from Kroder, he said nothing, just sat there in his chair. The officer repeated his question, no reply was forthcoming. The officer reiterated his question yet again, and again there was no response. After fifteen minutes of nothing, the officer frustrated, rose and motioned for the guards to lock him back into the cell. _The torture will begin soon_, Kroder mused to himself as they led him back into the cell. He lay down on the cot and drifted off to sleep.

When he woke, he saw that he was gagged and strapped to a chair in the same interrogation room. He smiled to himself as he heard the officer shout, "Where did the ship go, you planned this didn't you. Commander Rak has given permission for more persuasive techniques to be used to get your cooperation. Begin with phase one." A probe droid floated down and attached itself to his body. Suddenly, pain flared in his body, as all his pain receptors were activated by the probe. His guttural scream echoed through the room as his body jerked and writhed under the restraints, yet he held his tongue and said nothing. _I will not say anything_. The interrogation progressed through pain to heat and cold and then all of the three at the same time. Feeling throughout his body was shot, he twitched and squirmed uncontrollably, but yet he held his tongue.

After an inordinate amount of time, the torture stopped and he heard, "This is useless, he won't do anything but scream. We'll need to get someone else to interrogate him or we'll have to use other means." The guards then dragged him out of the room and back into his cell, where he slumped onto the cot. The pain still ruled his body as he drifted into unconsciousness.

Again, when he awoke, he was in a different place, a cell again, but this had a window. Looking out he saw the pitch black of space. He settled down and awaited the second round of torture to begin. He resolved to himself that he would not say anything. The ship approached a planet and descended where he was passed onto some other people, "He has a tolerance for pain and won't talk. Perhaps you can help us obtain the information needed, contact us when you are done," the Rebel Commander said as he led away to his new prison.

"I've been told that you have something the Rebels want to know. They may know some ways to make you talk, but we will make you talk," his new interrogator told him. The interrogator ordered him to be stripped of his clothes as he was thrown into his new cell and the door sealed behind him. He looked around and saw the ventilators turn on, blowing out cold air. _So this is it, the second phase_,_ they will try to reduce me to a husk by cold._ His body shivered as he huddled in the corner, trying to keep body heat in the cold surrounds. But the air grew colder and colder, his teeth were chattering, when the voice came over, "I can stop this anytime you are ready to talk," offering so much yet Kroder knew he would say nothing. Soon his fingers were turning blue from the cold, and he was suffering from frostbite, his whole body numb, he sank into a black oblivion.

The next time he felt anything, he was floating in a vertical bacta tank. Except this one had been modified. _So the next round begins_. Electricity shot through the tank of bacta shocking him making him flail uncontrollably as much as the restraints allowed him to. No one could hear his muffled cries, the current was stopped and his body was allowed to heal, and then the process was repeated. After ten repetitions, the interrogator asked if he would speak. He didn't say anything and so he was put in the tank for another ten cycles. And so time wore on, the cycle of endless pain.

Each round increased the pain; the interrogators took turns in applying the maximum pain. Apparently, when they had heard that the prisoner had been close to the Emperor they had decided to take their frustrations out on him. Each interrogator had their favourite method of punishment; each tried their sugar-coated words or bald faced threats, but none worked. They didn't get any information, but they did get the pleasure of torturing him. Each alien would take their turn, as reprisal for the Emperor's actions. The Wookie was brutal; the Bothan inflicted maximum pain with minimum energy.

Weeks later, there had still been no result, the interrogators were becoming frustrated, and they decided to revert to other means. Within a few days another ship had arrived carrying Mara Jade. They intended to use Jedi powers on him, to pry into his mind. As she sat opposite him he mused to himself,_ they think that a Jedi could get the information. The Emperor taught me this trick to avoid mind probes_. He thought of an endless deep black hole, nothing but a blank ocean of black which sucked the probe into nothingness.

Mara was totally surprised as she tried her fledgling Jedi powers on this prisoner. _He's keeping me out, I'll have to push harder_. Mara drew deeper into the Force, as she shot another probe into Kroder's mind. _Still nothingness. How is this possible? Unless_. "Is he an Imperial by any chance?" she asked. Upon receiving confirmation she knew what she was dealing with. _I see, he's been taught by the Emperor how to block Jedi probes. This must make him quite important, perhaps a high-level recognition code would work where mind probes don't._ "Alpha, Naboo, Sith, seven, nine," she stated, a high-level code that indicated that the subject was to report his mission to her, as the Emperor's Hand.

Kroder did not blink when he heard the high level code, instead he acted as if he was oblivious to the code, to cause further confusion. Nothing happened, but Mara waited for his reply which wasn't forthcoming. She got up in disgust and slapped him hard on the face. She put stun cuffs on him and indicated to the others that she would take him away. One of the guards clubbed him over the head, but all he heard was a name, Skywalker.

Heading towards Yavin 4, Mara cursed furiously as she tried to work out the identity of the prisoner. _He's obviously close to the Emperor, but he didn't blink when I gave him the code, so either he must be higher up or…Anyway I'm sure Skywalker should be able to break through_. She landed her ship in the courtyard as Luke Skywalker came out to greet her.

After a short time spent catching up, Mara invited Luke onto her ship. "I need your help, the Smuggler's Alliance has recently come into possession of a prisoner, but we don't know anything about him, I tried to Force probe his mind, but all I ever see is a black hole, an endless nothingness, but I don't feel any use of the Force." She and Luke walked over the where Kroder was being kept. She continued, "All Karrde managed to find out is that his name is Kroder Dermayil and that he's from Kuat and captain of the _Dark Avatar_, an Impstar Deuce. There's no information on his assignments or even how old he is." Luke sat down opposite the slumped down Kroder, as Mara watched. "I'll see what I can do," Luke stated serenely, as he drew on the Force, except he used a different technique, in his mind, a box appeared surrounding Kroder's body and it shrunk and shrunk until it was a perfect mould, and then using the Force he launched an attack, _reveal your secrets_, it launched but he saw it being drawn into a black hole.

Kroder struggled with keeping the mental battering ram from unlocking his mind. It had come close to breaking his concentration. He knew he could not sustain his defence for long, after all it was Skywalker who was working against him, the most powerful Jedi left and the one who had faced the Emperor, not once but twice. Kroder was running out of options, he would have to do something drastic, he could feel the black hole he had created in his mind crumble, he knew he had to take action. He had to draw on the Force and attack and hopefully escape but that would require revealing his mastery over the Force and they would know that he had been trained with the Emperor either way. He did not get the chance to decide, as Luke's powerful attack shattered his mind's defences. And suddenly, he could feel Luke probe deep into his mind. He had no choice but to reveal his mind even though he could throw Luke's probe out.

Luke allowed himself a small thought of triumph as he smashed the prisoner's defences, but he was not prepared for what he found out. "He's barely twenty years old, but some his memory seems to hold out, we should link our powers to probe there." Mara added her effort to Luke's and they broke through, they were utterly unprepared for what they saw.

_A young boy five, given to the Emperor. The relentless drills and exercises everyday since youth. Working with the Force, persistently. Being punished when he got it wrong. Later some memories about the _ _Imperial_ _Academy__ at Carida, where he graduated a few years ago. And then…Kroder his knee bent as the Emperor looked down upon him and spoke "You are chosen as the Emperor's Shadow, you will be my eyes and ears in the fleet."_ Both Luke and Mara were shocked at this revelation.

"You've ruined everything," he screamed out, breaking his silence, "You blithering idiots have ruined my whole life. You've raped my mind; even Vader would not have done that," he continued to rant as tears flowed from his deep blue eyes, getting caught on bangs of his corn-yellow hair. Steeling himself, he blustered on, shouting some very obscene profanities at Mara and Luke, who still sat shocked at the revelation and the reaction.

"You thrice-cursed Emperor's Hand, you have willingly betrayed him. I will not," the tirade continued onwards, as the tears kept flowing freely, like a torrent down his now red cheeks. He strained against his restraints as he tried to attack Luke and Mara, but all he succeeded in doing was to hurt his wrists and receive a stunning zap from the cuffs. He slumped onto the floor, stunned and then unconscious. Luke and Mara took some time to digest what had just happened.

"Luke, he's dangerous, I remember him now, he was a child when I last saw him following the Emperor on Byss, when I visited there, once," Mara warned, slightly wistful at the memories that were dredged up from the recesses of her mind, those that should have been long buried, "whatever he is, we can't let him go." _He insulted me, but I know that he's dangerous; anyone hanging around Palpantine as close as he was is definitively dangerous._

"But, Mara, the Emperor's long gone and dead, all his clones are dead as well. He's of no consequence, he can't harm anyone imprisoned anyway," Luke replied, hoping that he was right. "I suppose that now we know who he is, we can have Intelligence look into his activities and mission, I think in some ways he's right, we did violate his mind without his permission."

"But Luke, he's the enemy, the information there might be vital to the war," Mara half-heartedly complained. "Whatever information we can get will benefit the Smuggler's Alliance and the Republic."

"No, violating his mind is something that the Emperor and his dark Jedi would have done, I was already prematurely hasty and I fear what we do may border on Dark Side," Luke reflected, "After serving the Emperor Reborn, I really think that we have to be really careful about how close we stray to the Dark Side, lest we ever fall over."

Mara gave up and assented to Luke's decision. Soon Mara blasted off, and headed back to offload her prisoner. Kroder was kept unconscious by droid throughout the whole trip, and when he awoke he was in a small cell, all alone in the dark. He thought to himself, _the third phase of breaking begins_…


	2. Emperor's Shadow Part 2

EMPEROR'S SHADOW Part 2

Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by George Lucas and LucasArts so all the main concepts are owned by him as are most of the characters. Kroder and the Dark Avatar are mine though.

A/N: This takes place almost 20 years later, post The Unifying Force

The face of the prison official on the holonet spoke in loud clear tones, "Yes, we do hold the person you are seeking, but are you sure that you wish for his release?"

"Yes, we do wish his release to our care," the speaker, a woman, an official from the ship-producing planet of Kuat, which had taken a battering, financially and politically during the war with the Yuuzhan Vong.

"You do know that he is classified as most dangerous, and that we have him in maximum security in suspended animation," the prison official replied, trying to dissuade the Kuat government from lobbying for the release of prisoner number 31566-3AAA.

"We know," the speaker replied, in a tired tone, for it had taken her and her team years to track down the last surviving member of the noble family, a son that had been given away to the Emperor as payment for services unknown, or so it was rumoured. Tracking the databases had taken over a month, the child had virtually disappeared off the face of the galaxy, there were snippets of information until they found his prison record. "But it is absolutely necessary that we have him."

"You do know that he was responsible for numerous deaths whilst in prison, both inmates and officers and that he was disruptive and dangerous and destroyed many droids as well?", the prison official getting desperate, trying at all lengths to keep 31566-3AAA locked up in permanent hibernation.

"Look, just release him to us, bring the hibernation tube to Kuat and turn him over to our custody and we shall take it from here, he should be no more trouble to you after we have him," the speaker said, really annoyed at the prison official, "we have official documentation from your government allowing his release to our custody to do with him whatever we want. Just deliver him to Kuat as soon as possible, we've waited long enough. Okay?"

Finally, the prison official had to give up, "Fine, but mark my words, he is a danger to society." With that he switched to Holonet feed off. "All right," he said to the other officers, "get prisoner 31566-3AAA's hibernation tube out here, it is going to Kuat."

"Yes, sir," the officers replied and they went off to do their task. The official sat there thinking to himself, _this guy is really dangerous, who knows what he will do, it was rumoured the first day he got here, he sent another prisoner through the wall with one punch_.

The officers wheeled the hibernation tube out of the storage unit area and onto a ship and set a course to Kuat, where they would be rid of 31566-3AAA at last. At least, he thought, we're getting rid of this guy, hopefully forever.

Upon arrival at Kuat, they saw the woman, waiting for them on the space dock. "Wheel him this way please," she said as she motioned for the officers to follow her with the hibernation tube holding the prisoner's body. They followed her into an opulent medical centre, equipped with state of the art equipment, all ready to be used. "You may release him from hibernation now," the woman spoke to the officers who hesitated before asking, "Are you sure it is safe without any guards of some sort?"

"Look. Just do as I say, he's not going to kill anyone, he's not insane. I just want to talk to him, and when we're finished talking I don't think he is going to trouble you anymore," the woman replied, annoyed at being second guessed.

"Alright, it will be done as you say," the officer replied, getting ready the apparatus to releases the prisoner. He pushed a few buttons and the liquid in the tank drained out. "Thank you, now can you wait outside?" There was a hiss and the prisoner's eyes shot open inside the tank, as the officers left the room. The woman stood ready, the tube's door hissed and opened, the prisoner's eyes adjusted to the light, disoriented, he looked around and found himself naked.

"Here, put this on," a woman's voice spoke, the prisoner looked at the clothes being proffered by the woman.

"Thank you," his voice was raspy from disuse and from being stuck in suspended animation for almost 15 years. He stepped out of the threshold and put the clothes on. "By the way, who are you and what do you want with me?" he asked curious as to how he got into the medical facility, when the last thing he remembered was being shoved conscious into the tube, where he thought he was going to die.

"Who I am isn't important right now, who you are is, you are Kroder Dermayil, am I correct?" the woman said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"And if I am?" the prisoner replied, coyly, still confused as to the situation. He could feel the Force around him, it wouldn't be that hard to hurt a few people.

"Look, let me be upfront with you, you aren't in a prison anymore, you are on Kuat, the planet where you were born and the ruling family has decided that they need you," the woman responded, "I'm just someone who works for them."

"Alright, so I'll admit to it, you are talking to Captain Kroder Dermayil of Kuat. So why exactly am I needed anyway, I've already got a job, working for the Imperial Navy," Kroder retorted. He looked into the woman's eyes, looking for some sort of reaction.

"You've been in a hibernation tube for 15 years, there is no more Imperial Navy, there is only the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, the Empire and the New Republic folded into one almost five years ago," the woman answered, in a pointed tone.

"You are kidding me, aren't you? The Empire is gone? You have to be joking right?" Kroder asked is disbelief.

"I'm not joking and neither is the ruling family, times have changed and so has the universe. As for why the ruling family needs you, it is because you are the last one of your family left, it took ages to trace you, you were given away at birth to the Emperor of all people, but you have to have children, otherwise the balance between competing families may break, causing disaster," the woman explained. She continued on lecturing him about having to brush up his etiquette and character before meeting the ruling family and the rest of the galaxy. "The families intend for you to fill the junior senator position for our planet, in the Senate," she said as she finished.

"I've perfect manners," Kroder protested, "I was raised by Emperor Palpantine, the epitome of everything."

"And that fact should never, never see the light of day. The Emperor has been denounced. The Jedi wield much power, especially in the last five years," the woman interrupted, "so we have taken liberties with your life, and even so, the rules of the game have changed since you were around. You must be out of practice as well, rotting in that prison."

What the woman said slowly sank in as he thought to himself, _so the Jedi who ruined my life and raped my mind are in power now; I have to bring them down so that no one else would ever experience that ever again_. "I'm in, I will do as you ask," he replied, slowly forming a plan in his mind.

"I'm glad you see it our way," the woman replied.

The next week or so was a whirlwind, a blur of lessons, practice and meeting other families. After an extremely hectic day, Kroder settled down on the repulser couch in his lavish manse on Kuat. His temporary assistant sat on another chair on the other side of the room. She spoke to him, "Good, you are almost ready, now you need to learn to play the political game."

"Maybe later, I want to do some thinking, alone." Kroder replied emphasising the last word, dismissing his temporary assistant. She complied with his instruction. He closed his eyes and let the Force flow through his body for the first time since his suspension. He nervously scanned around for any sign of other Force Sensitives, but was relieved to find none in the vicinity.

Letting the Force flow through his body, he began a series of exercises; it was almost a second nature to him, he meditated as his thoughts cleared. After a while, he let the Force go from his body and brooded, started to form plans for his revenge. _They will pay for what they did to me. But how to make them pay, Yes, make them hurt by hurting their child. But first I should need to gather some power_. He got up and spoke into the intercom, "You can come back now, I'm done. And could you bring me a vibrosword?"

The door opened and let his assistant back in, "I'll get you your vibrosword, Comte Dermayil," she spoke, referring to him by title rather than first-name as is appropriate between a noble and a commoner. "But we must continue your training, in one month you will travel to Denon, to help the Baron Trascue in his duty," she continued, ushering him to take a seat at the table, she recommenced their lesson on dining with dignitaries followed by meeting more of the other nobles.

Soon the month was up and Kroder boarded the shuttle and left his opulent manse on Kuat for a less spacious but equally extravagant apartment on Denon, near the Senate, where the government had relocated for the reconstruction of Coruscant which had been devastated in the war with the Yuuzhan Vong. His valuable assistant had remained back on Kuat to resume whatever her duties were before she had trained him. Now all he had a Threepio droid as an administrative assistant. He preferred it that way, there were no other people fawning, hoping for advancement.

He turned the Holonet Receiver on and punched in the code for top-secret communications with the _Dark Avatar_, the ship he had commanded so long ago. He saw an older Ensign Coros answer, "Ensign Coros," Kroder spoke through the live feed, the Ensign's image appearing before him, "This is Captain Dermayil, the code is Naboo Six Six Seven Sith. I would request to speak with Captain Jori Dagon."

He saw the Ensign's face light up in recognition of his Captain, "Captain, you're alive, sir," he could see that the Ensign was relieved and overjoyed. "I have some bad news, Lieutenant Dagon is gone," the Ensign used her rank when he had left her.

"How," Kroder was dismayed, disbelieving that she would die.

Ensign Coros continued, "Soon after you left, before we could stage an uprising, she fell pregnant and was transferred off the ship, but she told us to launch the plan anyway. We found out later that she had had a boy, but a few days later, she was killed by an unknown intruder and the baby was missing, and he has never been found."

Kroder opened his mouth in disbelief and asked, "Who was the father?" though in his heart he knew that it had to be his child.

"We believe that you sir, are the father of the Lieutenant's child," the Ensign looked slightly sad. Kroder said that he had some business to take care of before he returned and that he would try to find his child, to train him as well, to carry out his crusade. "And could you send the little black box from my room to me through the contacts. I'm on Denon the capital of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances."

With that he switched the holonet transceiver off and left the room for a Senate Committee meeting that he had to attend. He rushed out of his suite, late for his meeting. Quickly catching an airtaxi to the temporary Senate building, he rushed into the turbolift hoping not to be late. He opened the doors to the meeting room, he knew that Kuati senators had to tread the political path carefully, since that misbegotten fool Viqi Shesh had served. She had truly forgotten that Kuat Drive Yards comes first.

He happened to walk past a cantina, where there were some drunk officers on break, they saw him and one of the drunk officers walked over, obviously egged on by his mates, "Senator," he called, "The military need more money, you sit on the Finance Committee, I want you to vote for the motion." He lurched around, trying to block Kroder but he dodged around.

The drunk officer chased him, draping an arm over his shoulder, Kroder brushed his arm off, and said, "Beware, you are endangering your commission and much more," a dark edged tone in his voice. The drunk officer did not take notice and continued on his slurred speech, about how craven senators were around guns. That remark got Kroder's attention, as a dark look passed through his eyes.

"Did you just call me craven?" Kroder demanded, as the drunk officer, grabbing the drunken officer by the scruff of his neck, "if you value your life, I suggest that you don't threaten me, I could probably beat you up right now and not break a sweat, so leave," the last words were spoken forcefully, as he gave the officer a shove which sent him sprawling to the ground, a malicious glint in his eyes, "If you ever try to bully me again, I will hurt you, real bad that even bacta could not cure you. I wasn't always a politician." He stalked off, angry, annoyed but he calmed himself as he went to meet Baron Trascue. The officers at the bar sat shocked, jaws dropping at the audacity of this certain Senator, so different from those during the Yuuzhan Vong war.

Jarec and Master Jacen walked along the causeway through the busy crowd. They each had their Jedi robes on, and walked silently through the crowd. Jarec looked around at the tall buildings that seemed to go on forever, it was his first time on Denon, as Master Jacen had stopped in to report his uncle, Master Skywalker and to present Jarec as his apprentice. The events of the past month played themselves through Jarec's head. The pain of his upbringing by the insane Sith-Android hybrid, the fury that had been fanned inside him, the fanatical hatred, the desire to dominate everything in the galaxy. It had all been fostered within him for the entirety of his childhood until he had snapped, finally one day, and killed with the Force. It was horrible, watching his tormentor die and yet it felt good to see the pain and desperation on the face of his torturer as the life slipped out of it.

And he had lusted for more, the joy of the hunt and kill had filled his body and his whole soul. He went on a rampage, killing day and night, leaving behind grisly bodies with burn marks from a lightsaber all over them. That was when Master Jacen had appeared and saved him from destruction. He remembered the haze of the fight, how Jacen's steadfast defence had infuriated him, had caused him to overstep. How his fury had suddenly left him as the pain of his injuries set in, how instead of killing him, Master Jacen showed mercy, how Master Jacen saw his life, his suffering and took pity and rescued him from his darkness.

He looked up from his reverie as he and Master Jacen walked on towards the spaceport. Suddenly, he stopped as he saw a man who looked exactly like him, with corn-yellow hair and those deep blue eyes, like a pool, reflecting the sunlight, those which had been his father's. A memory floated into his mind, of the days before the pain had began of his real mother, a shadow, showing him a picture of his father, praising him saying that his father was far away but alive and that she had hoped to see him once again, saying that she saw him reflected in her child, her beautiful child. _Could this be someone who knows my father or one of his relatives? _Jarec had not noticed that he had stopped suddenly in mid-step.

Kroder had been walking through the causeway, plotting his revenge whilst on the way to a meeting of some obscure Senate Committee, when he had bumped into a robed man who had halted in mid-step. The shock of this brought him back, he proffered a hand to the fallen man, who, as he got up, revealed his face, when the hood fell away. He was stunned, staring at what seemed to be his mirror image. He spoke, "I'm really sorry, perhaps I could offer you and your friend some caf," making an excuse so that he could stay and talk to this man who looked like his mirror image.

Master Jacen spoke up, "I'm sorry, but my apprentice and I must really be on our way."

"Really, I insist, this accident was my fault and I wouldn't feel right if I didn't make it up to you," Kroder replied, wanting more time to study Jarec. Knowing that Jarec had been brought up without a father, Jacen knew that one of his dreams was to find his father, and so he relented and they entered a small tapcafe on the causeway. "What would you two sirs like?" Kroder asked as he ordered a decaf from the serving droid.

"Really, we don't need a drink. I think my apprentice here, just wants to talk. You two look very alike, almost like twins," Jacen observed, trying to be tactful but also trying to avoid inconvenience of accepting the caf.

"I insist that you should choose something," Kroder answered, insisting, as he paid for his decaf. After all, as a noble of Kuat, he had ample money.

"Alright, then we'll just have decaf as well," Jacen replied "I should really introduce myself, I'm Jacen Solo and this is my apprentice Jarec. I thank you for your offer of caf. My apprentice was orphaned very young, and has been looking for his father ever since, you look exactly like him, so I guess I want to ask about your family and if it is possible that you may be related to him."

Kroder smiled as he paid the server droid, "Nice to meet you Master Solo," shaking the hand proffered by Jacen, "I'm Kroder Dermayil, senator from Kuat. Well really, I have no family, they are all dead or so I have been told, other than a son that disappeared over 15 years ago that I never knew I had." _This could be him, maybe my child could be found after all_.

"But you look barely old enough to have a child of 15," Jarec spoke up for the first time, "You only look in your early twenties."

Kroder motioned for Jarec to come closer, "I'm actually about forty, but I hardly look it because I've spent the last fifteen years in hibernation in prison," he whispered into Jarec's ear not wanting anyone else to know, "I was sort of the black nerf so to speak. I've changed though, don't worry, I have responsibility and I know that I have to do what is right for the family."

Jarec leant back, after listening to Kroder and told Jacen, "He could be my father, I could have found him after all these years." _He didn't abandon me, he couldn't be with me. I hope this can all work out_. "Perhaps we could get tested to see if we are related," Jarec asked.

Meanwhile, Kroder had finished his decaf and looked at his watch, showing that he was late for the Senate meeting, "Ummm… sorry, but maybe not right now, I'm actually late for a Committee meeting. But I would be happy to be tested. I want to be a father to my son if I can find him. Just visit the Senate Offices and ask for Senator Dermayil from Kuat and I would be happy to be tested as soon as possible. I'm sorry but I must leave you now, gentlemen," he spoke as he rose from the tapcafe and strode out towards the Senate offices, leaving Jacen and Jarec behind to finish their decaf.

Jacen spoke, "He may or may not be your father, if the Force wills it, then the test will come back a match, but don't be too disappointed if he is not."

"I know, Master," Jarec mumbled a reply, barely able to contain himself, _I have found my father, hopefully he is the one that I have been searching for, and a Senator too_. They finished their decaf and walked off.


	3. Emperor's Shadow Part 3

Emperor's Shadow Part 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. Jarec and Kroder and the Dark Avatar were made up by me though so they aren't part of official continuity. Also thanks to people from the old ImpStar RPG on the JCC for great ideas...

One week later, they had both been tested and had found each other at long last, father and son had been reunited.

They spent the next week together, getting to know each other. One day, while sitting in his spacious quarters, Kroder talked about his childhood. "I spent my childhood pampered, too used to having my way, when I didn't I usually did something bad, that would be how I ended up in prison," Kroder recalled, feeling that it was shit to have to lie to his own flesh and blood like this, but he had no choice, he didn't know if he could trust his son yet. He fingered his necklace for strength, a dodecahedral device its only adornment.

"I ended up in prison fights and managed to really hurt a lot of other prisoners, I guess I got so troublesome, that they had to put me in the freeze," Kroder laughed as he recalled the past, "it was really painful, you felt like you were drowning, I suppose that the warden was so annoyed at me that he refused to sedate me before pushing me in the tube. I certainly most likely deserved that."

He told of being released, finding that his family had all died, that he had responsibility to his family, to his dead family, to keep the family going, how he had found out that he had had a child that he did not know about, how it brought such joy to have found his son. How he regretted not being able to be there for his son, "No child should go through life not having parents, it is a tragedy, How I wish that I was there for you," Kroder said, the words coming from his heart. _How could I lie to him about my past, yet also love him so much. He will have to know the truth sometime_.

He finished his tale, and Jarec began his. "I only faintly remember my mother, she's a shadow in my mind, I remember that she died, that a cyborg-woman killed her, and took me away. I remember she used to tell me about you, how you were far away and couldn't come. I used to wish that you would come. Now you are here, I'm so satisfied," he hugged his father as he continued his story, "The cyborg-woman was a Sith, she tortured me all day and night, trying to release my rage and anger, to turn me into a killing machine, an animal knowing nothing but hunt and kill."

"Those years were the worst of my life, they were nothing but pain and pain and hatred and anger, the flames consumed me, I became what she had wanted me to. When she thought I was ready, she unleashed me. I remember the shock in her face as my first action was to kill her, I made her explode into a shower of blood, I remember the euphoric feeling of the kill. I grabbed her lightsaber and left to hunt more and kill more, to bathe in blood again. Over the next months I killed and killed, taking delight in the hunt, the kill, most of all, the blood and euphoria." He took a break from his story, taking time for a drink.

"It was then that Master Jacen found me, raving mad, he had been sent to investigate the series of murders that I had committed. When I saw him I swung at him wildly, using the strength of the Force to augment my blows, but he stood there just blocking. It drove me to anger, as I became more out of control, my blows became wilder, became more desperate until he counterattacked, I felt the shock of the lightsaber shearing through my leg and my foot, I smelled the burn, as the Force left me, there was only more pain, I tried to draw on the Force to attack but he blocked my now feeble attempts. Then I saw black and faded."

"When I awoke, I found that I was in a hospital floating in bacta, Master Jacen was standing over me, watching, a sad look on his face. I later found out that it was because I had projected the pain of my upbringing by the droid-woman into his mind, and he felt my pain, for the first time, someone had cared for me. He told me that I had to have cybernetic implants to replace the leg and foot that I had lost in the fight. But droid parts, I could not have them, they would remind me of my pain all the time, I told him I could not have them, I would not have them. Master Jacen relented and said that he would take me to Zonoma Sekot, to get biological implants, even though that had not been done before," Jarec paused to take another drink.

He continued his narrative, "When we arrived, never have I felt so much joy and life, the Force resonated joy through my body. We were greeted by the Yuuzhan Vong and some others. Master Jacen hugged a woman called Danni, it was the only time I saw him show unbridled joy. They were obviously very good friends. But it was to Tekli and Harrar and Sekot that he spoke, he asked them to graft biological implants on me. I don't remember much of the process but when it was finished, I could walk again."

"We stayed for a week, Master Jacen spending a lot of time with Danni while Tekli and some of the Shapers watched over me, to see that I was alright. When I had recovered enough we said our goodbyes and left to Ossus, to see Master Skywalker. Jacen said he intended to take me as his apprentice, to help me work through my tortured childhood. That was about a month ago, and so I have been apprenticed to him, Master Skywalker approved this, and then I found you. And so that's the story of what you missed out." Jarec finished his tale.

"So do you swordfight?" Kroder asked as he got up from the couch, "I think that we should get some exercise," he said as he and Jarec entered another room, this one empty except for one lone rack. Kroder drew a vibrosword from the rack and tossed it to Jarec, he took another one for himself. "So are you ready for some exercise, son," Kroder asked, for the first time calling Jarec his son, "En guarde." Jarec bought his sword up like Master Jacen had taught him and they duelled back and forth, their swords clashing, both having fun, reunited forever.

It was in the night, some time later that Kroder decided that he had to fulfil his first goal in choosing to come to Denon. Kroder put on a black cloak and took one last look at his son, sleeping in his room. He went out of the apartment, ready to bring justice to those who had harmed him so long ago. He walked along the causeway, towards Luke and Mara's temporary quarters on Denon, while he served on the High Council.

When he arrived he slipped upstairs to their door. He felt that they were sleeping peacefully. Drawing on the Force he quietly slid open the door and walked in. Keeping dead silent and tamping down his Force powers he crept along to Luke and Mara's room, he then drew on the full power of the Force and suddenly they were awake, but it was too late, Kroder hit them both on the head, a powerful blow, to addle their mind, making them inchoate, driving them insane, as they had done to him. He drew his lightsaber, a jet black blade shimmering and he burned the words, _Justice Is Served_ into the wall and left closing the door behind him.

Jacen was sleeping in his room in the Solo's apartment on Denon, when he saw a vision of Luke and Mara raving mad, trying to hurt Ben, he saw little Ben crying. He quickly tossed his sheets off and hurried out, to help his cousin. He rushed over to the apartment surveying the scene of destruction, the apartment was a mess. Using the Force he sedated his aunt and uncle and sent Ben to bed, he then had the medical droid come and sedate them with drugs. He walked into Luke and Mara's bedroom, and saw the macabre message scrawled upon the wall with a lightsaber, another vision hit him, he saw, he couldn't believe it, his apprentice scrawling a message with a jet black lightsaber. _How could he, how did he get that lightsaber, his is silver, where did he get that black lightsaber. I will have to go over there._ The medical droid arrived and assured him that they would be sleeping for hours, and he left to see his apprentice, Jarec and to find out why.


	4. Emperor's Shadow Part 4

Emperor's Shadow 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars that belongs to George Lucas. Kroder, Baron Trascue and the Dark Avatar belong to me though.

The comm unit chimed, waking Kroder from his sleep. It was Master Jacen on the intercom wishing to see Jarec. "Come in," Kroder answered. _Could Master Jacen be powerful enough to discover that I was the one who turned Mara and Luke into raving lunatics with the Force?_ The door slid open and Master Jacen entered as Kroder went in to wake his son.

"Perhaps you would like some refreshments?" Kroder offered as he pointed Jacen to the spacious couch which adorned his apartment.

"No thanks, Senator Dermayil, this is official business," Jacen replied. A cold feeling came over Kroder but he hid it well, _Could he have found out so soon_. Jarec entered the room and greeted Jacen warmly asking him what was the purpose of this visit in the middle of the night.

"Tonight, my aunt and uncle were attacked by someone who rendered them raving lunatics and then burned the words Justice Is Served into the wall with a lightsaber. By probing Master Luke's mind, I saw an image of the attack, I saw you, Jarec attacking him. I want to ask you why did you do it? Why did you attack Master Luke after all we have done for you," Jacen pleaded and demanded impassionedly.

"But I've done nothing," Jarec answered, "I've been home all night and in bed. Father will attest to that."

"Yes, he was home all night, he hasn't been out of his bed, so your Master Luke must have been wrong," Kroder backed his son's version of events. "I checked in on him before I went to bed and he was sound asleep." _But I wasn't, I was out hunting, but you'll never find out._ He grew more annoyed, he must usher Master Jacen out before he could discover the truth. "Master, you have heard all we have to say and I want to rest so perhaps you should visit another time."

Master Jacen however continued, "Perhaps this could be settled if you allow me to probe your mind, Jarec. That way I can prove your innocence."

"Yes Master, I would allow you to do so, that would only prove my innocence," Jarec assented to his Master's instruction. Kroder watching, felt the rage and fury build up, as he saw Jacen about to his son, what he had endured, what he had suffered at Luke and Mara's hands.

He felt the Force flow through him, he could not stop it, he flung a cushion at Jacen as he uttered a guttural, "No, you will not." The Force raged through his body, as a lightsaber flew across the room and came to rest in Kroder's hand, who activated it. "You will leave now," a command, as his shimmering blade of jet black illuminated the room slightly.

"Father, what are you doing?" the surprise showed on both Jarec's face as he spoke and Jacen's as he turned around.

"I did it, I made your Luke and Mara mad, for what they did to me years ago, now justice is served. I burned that into the wall, the Force roiled and bubbled, its intensity filling the room. Involuntarily, everyone was thrown headlong into a vision, Jarec and Jacen saw what had happened on the ship during the interrogation all those years ago, how Luke and Mara had violated him, how they had condemned him, how they had driven him to hate to twisted justice. "I will leave them as they are, they will be lunatics forever. You can never reverse the process without the correct knowledge." To his son, he said, "join me, join your father, we're family. We will go away, from these evil Jedi."

"I will find it," Jacen stated firm, as he drew his lightsaber and activated it, a shimmering green emerald blade, matching the jet black of Kroder's blade. He prepared to fight.

"No don't," tears flowed down Jarec's eyes as he saw his Master and his Father about to engage in deadly combat, "you cannot kill him, to do so will destroy me, he told Jacen. Is it worth so much?" He turned to plead to his father, "you cannot hurt my Master Jacen, he rescued me from the darkness, he gave me new life, I don't know what I would do if you harmed him, don't for my sake." He saw his father blink, as if coming out of a trance, he felt the storm of the Force subsiding, easing a little.

He continued to try to stop the fight, "And think of little Ben, you yourself said that a child should not be without his parents, I don't want what happened to him what I had to go through, not having parents to raise him. Don't do this to him. Don't make me choose between you and Master Jacen," he pleaded tears still rolling down his face. Jacen and his father just stood motionless, ready for a fight. "Father put the lightsaber away, otherwise I'll die" he got up and walked towards his father's lightsaber to impale himself to avoid the choice.

Kroder, almost trance-like watched his son walk towards him as the words that his son had just spoken reverberated in his mind, _Don't make me choose, a child should always know his parents_. The voices revolved around his head, argued with his other thoughts, his desire for justice or was it revenge? He saw his son approach to within lightsaber reach, he was going to walk straight into it._ No you can't, I won't lose you. I have no choice_. He hit the lightsaber's switch twice, a double-tap turning it off.

He collapsed on the floor, sank, crying. The lightsaber clattered on the floor. The weight of the world seemed to suddenly be on him and suddenly it was gone, when his son embraced him. _Yes, my son, when it comes to family, everything must be sacrificed_. _I could not leave you without a father, after I already allowed your mother to be taken_. Meanwhile, Master Jacen had switched his lightsaber off and approached, angry and pitiful at the same time.

"Your father will have to reverse what he did to Luke and Mara, and he will have to be punished for his actions," Jacen said.

"You can't, what they did to him is just as bad, he's been scarred all his life, he's been hurt by them. I won't let you, if he heals your uncle and aunt you must promise to keep this a secret to never tell anyone," Jarec replied, "They will forget what happened, move on, it will seem like a bad dream to them. I must have your silence, Master. I won't lose my father again. You showed me mercy, why can't you show him mercy as well." Jarec still sat on the floor, comforting his father, the weight all on his shoulders.

"I will heal your uncle and aunt, but that does not lessen what they did, they almost drove me insane, but they won't remember anything about it," Kroder said, the first time he spoke since the Force had dissipated from his body.

"Where did you learn to use the Force, who trained you?" Those questions expressed by Jacen, he was curious to know, and then he saw, an image of the Emperor Reborn formed in his mind, he saw, "Your aunt should know who I am, ask her when she regains her mind. And as for how I learned, my liege lord trained me, and this," Kroder explained, taking the Holocron off the chain which hung around his neck as he threw it at Jacen, "You can look but not keep, it is the last thing my lord ever gave me, so it is important to me. You have to understand, anything which is said here stays a secret forever."

"A holocron, those have been lost for years," Jacen activated the Holocron and the gatekeeper appeared, a youthful man appeared in projection, I am Jedi Master Herrit, gatekeeper of this Holocron, what do you wish to learn young one?"

"Show him how to reverse the power afflict insanity." Kroder spoke to the projection. The image of Jedi Master Herrit faded replaced by the image of a woman, proud and erect, with deep green eyes, "I am Jedi Master Lytall, to reverse the afflict insanity you must…" the image continued, outlining the process to Jacen. When it finished, Kroder took his Holocron back and said that he would accompany Jacen to heal Luke and Mara.

They left the apartment and went over to where Luke and Mara were, raving insane but sedated by the medical droid that Jacen had summoned. "Well, we should take one patient each," Kroder said, ready to do what was required of him, he let the Force flow through him, his hands at the side of Mara's head, he gathered the Force to him and gave one powerful Force-backed blow to her head, and saw Jacen do the same to Luke. Their patients crumpled and were put to bed by the medical droid, as Jarec and Kroder left, "Watch over your aunt and uncle, but remember what was said stays a secret," Kroder said, as they left for home. "It was his dead mother that was Force-sensitive, if anyone ever asks."

"Yes," the reply came. "It was Jarec's dead mother that was Force-sensitive."


	5. Emperor's Shadow Part 5

Emperor's Shadow 5

Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by George Lucas.

It had been over a month since the revelation of his past, he had said farewell to his son and Master Jacen as they departed to travel and to learn more about the Force. Kroder, still suffering the effects of the storm of the Force ravaging his body breathed heavily, as he worked through his sword exercises. Practicing Form 2, as he lunged and danced forward and backwards, beads of sweat rolled down his face, wiped off by a towel.

His Threepio droid entered, and said in its mechanical tone, "Baron Trascue is here to see you sir." Kroder gruffly replied to the droid if he could tell the Baron to wait five minutes while he freshened up and to attend to the counter-intelligence sweep. This request was granted and five minutes later, in more formal clothes, Kroder entered and sat down on the couch opposite the Baron.

"Comte," the Baron began, using his title rather than his name, "You know that the position of Kuat within the Federation has been quite tenuous since the Viqi Shesh incident," her name was reviled and cursed all over Kuat, her existence had been wiped off the face of any family tree of Kuat, her relatives had had to make substantial payments to the ruling family as compensation for her misdeeds.

"Anyway, the ruling family feels that it is time that we should make a move for more power again, it feels that we have to take more important posts. That means at least hopefully use of your special powers in addition to the normal politicking," the Baron continued. Shock rode freely over Kroder's face, he had thought that that secret was not told to anyone else, but then again, the ruling family had to know and they had seen it wise to tell the Baron.

"You do know that any Jedi within the vicinity could detect my use of the special power," not using the word 'Force' just in case the counter-intelligence sweep missed anything, Kroder replied, "it would be most dangerous if that ever came out, it could blow up in the ruling family's face and the political ramifications may be just as bad as the Shesh incident."

"Still, the Ruling Family has decided such, and you will listen to the ruling family, even though I am certain that some of the members raised the same concerns, we are just here to gather power and prestige," the Baron continued, as he outlined the first steps of the plan. "The ruling family would like to see one of us on the Security Council so that they could influence the military, and perhaps possibly for one of us to sit on the High Council, if possible, though I think that that person would have to be me, being that close to the Jedi would be suicidal for you, I'm sure."

Kroder absently fingered the Holocron hanging around his neck, adroitly disguised as an ornament of his Senatorial Robes when he appeared in public. "I would think so too, however, those seats are currently filled by senators with a lot of political clout, especially Councillor Triebakk whom it is said has the ear of Chief of State Omas, and he is a friend of the Jedi. It would be hard to oust him from his seat."

"Ahh…but Councillor Triebakk does not enjoy as much support in the Senate, there was some rumour that he had his way into the High Council bought for him, he does not enjoy a majority in the Senate, yet if we bring it up, his friends may not take that too well, especially the Jedi, we shall have to tread carefully around them. We shall have to manipulate the evidence somehow, maybe the information could find its way into the hands of the Senator from Mon Calamari, they are our rivals and no one should be able to see our hands behind this," the Baron outlined, "Then we can move in for the kill, I think that I should put this into action, while you watch our back, your powers should help you there, and perhaps we could garner some support, the senators tend to vote in blocs, if we should influence enough of the important senators, then we should win, but that comes after."

"The Security Council job should be much more straightforward, one of our colleagues may be suitably influenced to trade jobs with you, and the Senate should ratify it, but that should be done very soon, to stop people's suspicion when both of us move jobs too close to one another," the Baron finished their preliminary plan.

"I agree, but which Senator to ask, I mean, who's known to want a trade, he should be easier to work on, if we need to work on him or her at all. The plan shouldn't arouse any suspicion. So it seems that both of us have our work to do," Kroder advised, signally an end to the discussion. "My Threepio will show you to the door, Baron." The Threepio droid motioned for the Baron to leave as he bid farewell.

Putting aside politicking for a while, he relaxed and activated the Holocron, "Master Revan, perhaps we should go through the basics of Force Lightning again," Kroder asked the holographic figure projected from the Holocron.

"You know that the use of that power is dangerous, I can feel your emotions quite keenly today, remember, there is no emotion, there is only peace. I fell once and it almost destroyed the Republic. Yet in terms of growth in the Force, I feel that you are ready, and you show remarkable control and aptitude for this power. Calm yourself and then we will begin," the holographic Master Revan intoned in a more clipped and rustic accent, "Perhaps my wife Bastila will test you for Battle Meditation soon, you should perhaps hear our story then," he added as an afterthought, "Now clear your mind, feel the Force flow through your body."

Closing his eyes, Kroder concentrated on the voice projected by the Holocron, following its instructions, he could feel the lightning play at his fingertips, he pointed with his index finger and a bolt of lightning shot forth, dissipating when it hit its target. He progressed from one target to two, one on each hand, until he hit ten targets, arrayed around him at once, it was then that he stopped the exercise and rested for five minutes, before he repeated the exercise again, this time without the guidance of Jedi Master Revan. He missed one of the targets on his fifth go though and had to repeat it again before he got it correct, but at the end of the second cycle, he let the Force drain from him and got up from his sitting position and thumbed off the Holocron, and began to plan.

An hour later, he took time off again to further his studies of the Force. This time a different Jedi Master appeared in the Holocron to guide him through his practice of the Juyo Form 7. The wooden practice sword he was using twirled and danced around imitating the most dangerous form of lightsaber duelling from the Old Republic. Another hour passed before he finished practicing and he stepped into the refresher to prepare for the next day's work before he retired for the night.

Engineering Triebakk's fall from grace would take a certain amount of élan and a measure of good luck. First the fabricated or real records would need to be found, implicating the Senator in impropriety, secondly, the records would have to find its way into the Mon Calamari's senator's hands in some way that it would not be able to be traced to them, that would probably involve a one time courier who would then be eliminated. Thirdly, and probably most hard, they would need to engineer the vote so that the Baron would become Triebakk's successor in the High Council. Hopefully, the Mon Calamari senator would not recognise the collateral damage he would do by releasing such documents and thus play himself into a losing position taking out another of KDY's competitors. But the first two parts would be mostly left to the Baron to plan and execute.

Kroder however, had another job to complete, that was to become a member of the Security Council and NRMOC. Most of the senators were possessive about their seats, but analysis had shown that either the Senator from Sullust or Corellia could be persuaded to step down. He had a choice on how to move, to either do a quiet swap which would probably make no ripples, but would let the opposition know that he was jockeying for a new position, or to do what they were doing to Triebakk, but that would create shockwaves. He decided that the first course would be better, even though the more politically astute senators would recognise the play at power. He would probably try to work on the Sullustan senator because they weren't competitors of KDY.

He had been informed the previous day that KDY was quietly entering negotiations with Sinear Fleet Systems to develop a new fleet class, complete with both capital ships and starfighters. He smiled to himself, knowing that the new fleet class might actually be comparable to the designs developed by Project Byss. The current XJ X-Wings and E-Wings were no match for his own TIE Corsairs and A-Wings would be ripped to shreds by Project Byss's TIE Lances. The GFFA did have an advantage in the fact that they had B-Wings which were heavier than what Project Byss had developed.

The arrangements were made, and within the next session, he and the Sullustan Senator had done a swap, he had traded his Finance Committee job for a NRMOC job, it had just happened that the Sullustan's controllers had wanted a financial position so that had worked out quite nicely. According to the Baron Trascue, the first and second phases would be going within two weeks, which meant that he would have to be ready to campaign.

Two weeks passed, as the machinations of the plan to depose Senator Triebakk came to fruition. Sitting in the Senate Chamber, he smiled as he saw the senator from Mon Calamari make his mistake, he denounced Senator Triebakk and produced the doctored documents outlining his flagrant transgressions and his dealing with the now defunct Smuggler's Alliance during the Vong war. Even though some of the current senators were worried that they would be caught nonetheless they were obliged to denounce Senator Triebakk and call for his removal and hope that that was as far as the witch-hunting went. He would be sacrificed to show the Senate clean from corruption, his seat on the High Council would have to be reassigned, a couple of Senators already put their name forward including Baron Trascue.

The next few weeks involved serious political bargaining and backroom deals, with a liberal use of mind-control and influence the vote was engineered to ensure Baron Trascue's election to the High Council. Dispersed within that period, Kroder gave reports to the ruling family as to what happened in NRMOC committee meetings, telling them that they would be quite amenable to new designs for both starfighters and capital ships.

Meanwhile, a few tidbits of Project Byss's progress flowed in to his personal holocomm, there were two new fighters being developed, both based off the TIE Advanced, but to be built at a much cheaper cost, designated the TIE Shadow, which was near completion and ready for testing, and the TIE Predator, a fighter-bomber combination like the Rebel X-Wings.

The end of the year was coming and the Senate would have its annual holiday soon, Kroder planned to use that time to pay a visit to Project Byss and to look at the new designs, knowing that his son, Jarec would be spending the holidays training with Master Jacen. He had to take some personal leave anyway and those two things would dovetail nicely. But that was still another few weeks away and there were still meetings to attend and a job to do. He put his holiday plans out of his mind as he sank into his bed and slept.

Colonel Jag Fel led his Chiss squadron on patrol through an uninhabited system near what was known as the Unknown Regions. At the end of the Vong war, he had been assigned as the Chiss liaison with the GFFA but he still found some time to pull routine patrols. Suddenly the proximity sensors on his ship beeped as his sensor board lit up with the appearance of two squadrons of Chiss clawcraft, like the ones that he flew but different. They rushed towards his squadron like a hungry nek. "Break into flights," his crisp military tone broke through the comm channel to his squad, "We're going to have to run."

He received the acknowledgments from his other flight leaders, when he heard his second on the private comm channel query him, "Those are Chiss Clawcraft, why are we running away, they are our allies, aren't they?" Jag replied that even those were Clawcraft they weren't like the ones that were currently in use by the Syndic, they looked different and they seemed hostile.

He was right; the enemy clawcraft came in firing with their lasers, trying to kill. He saw Eight get blown up by sustained enemy fire and then his wingman Two was destroyed by a concussion missile. He saw an enemy clawcraft in his sights and shot his lasers obliterating the enemy fighter, it was now ten against twenty, as some of his squadron members had also picked up kills.

He had one on his tail as he accelerated and leaving two behind, drawing his pursuer into her firing range, he saw the explosion as the enemy fighter was destroyed by Two's fire, as he looped backwards and fired his lasers, destroying the enemy pursuing Two.

"Let's get out of here," Jag gave the order through the comm. to the surviving members of the squadron. As they entered hyperspace questions started entering his head. _Who were they? Some Rogue Chiss who don't like the fact that we've allied with the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, or something more, like the rumoured nine families that left about ten years ago? And why now? Why attack now? _

A/N: Who is this new enemy? What are the Chiss doing back? It isn't quite over yet. Be prepared for more in the next installment.


	6. Emperor's Shadow Part 6

Emperor's Shadow 6

Disclaimer: Yeah! I don't own Star Wars.

Emperor's Shadow 6

"Welcome back," a stormtrooper intoned as the scientist stepped out of the cloning tank, refreshed and in a new body, a young body with an agile mind and more time. He could scarce believe his luck when the Reborn Emperor had offered him this commission. Here he would live forever, doing what he loved, designing parts for starfighters, for Project Byss. He had been almost quite old when he had been offered the job, retired but hating it. Now, he was refreshed, in a new clone body, so he could continue his passion. He had found that the Emperor had gathered all the genius's in starfighter and capital ship design and had them now, sequestered in Project Byss developing new weapons for the future.

His memories and work had been transferred into his new body, he couldn't wait to get back to work. A few of the top designers were aliens, which were slightly surprising given the Empire's traditional anti-alien bias, but then again there was Thrawn and the Emperor did demand the best. Even though initially some of the officers of the fleet attached to the Project had looked down on the aliens, the commanding officer, Captain Dermayil had ordered that the non-humans be treated fairly, for the sake of the Project. All in all, he thought that most of them had learned to enjoy their time here, most were like him in temperament, loving the fact that they could pursue knowledge and their passion for eternity, if need be.

The annual senate holiday had come, and Kroder was now piloting his private yacht, _Shadow_, away from Denon, towards the Fydir Star Cluster, where Project Byss was stationed, to check on the progress of the Project and to sort out any mess that had developed whilst he was gone. The _Shadow _shot away from the spaceport on Denon, officially headed to Kuat, unofficially headed for the Unknown Regions and the Fydir Star Cluster and Project Byss.

The _Shadow_ landed on the spaceport attached to Fydir Prime in the Fydir Star Cluster, Project Byss's headquarters. Kroder alighted from his ship, walking down the ramp, greeted by his officers. "Welcome back, Captain, the project has been reporting successes, but we are worried, we aren't getting as much intel as before.'

"There has been many changes while I've been away, the galaxy has changed, I want a meeting of all project leaders in one standard hour. That is all, dismissed," Kroder's brusque reply took his officer by surprise, but years of training kicked in and the officer marched away as Kroder made his way to his office. He had to down to the planet from the space station, he had to consult the Fydiran Council of Seers for help.

One hour later, all the officers and head scientists reported for debriefing. Kroder chaired the meeting and asked for developments. One of the scientists, a young blond human answered, "The experimental fighters are coming along well. I predict the _Corsair _and _Lance_ classes will soon be supplemented by the _Shadow_ and the _Predator_ classes. They should be ready within six months, if not sooner."

"Good work, I'll have to take a test flight in both of them as soon as possible. Next." Kroder replied. "How is weapons design coming along,"

A middle-aged woman answered, "Weapons are being developed up to specs sir, the intelligence garnered from the outside has been quite useful. But they still haven't caught up to some of our enhancements. Lately, we've been working on bio-missiles which should be useful against those Vong aliens. But they have to be tested against the real thing."

"Proceed, but I don't think that we'll be able to get any samples, the war is over," Kroder replied, "What about the new proton missiles that you were working on last time? Are they ready yet?"

"They've been tested and certified for usage, they do fifteen percent more damage than the old models, that project is a success. We've also been working on new quick-charge turbolasers, we've got them up to about twenty seconds continuous firing before they have to recharge for five seconds," the middle-aged leader of Weapons Design continued.

"Good job, Component design. Report." Kroder proceeded through the head scientists.

"The new engines are coming along, more thrust for less power usage, we're way ahead of the outside in that regards. However, shielding has had problems, the new experimental shields look like they have to be scrapped, Sir," the Component Design head spoke up, the last bit said reluctantly.

"The new engines would be useful," Kroder stated, "But work will have to be redoubled on shielding, the outside is developing better capital ship shields, perhaps I will steal some specs for you."

"I have some news for you. While I was outside, there have been many changes. The Empire has joined up with the Rebels and become the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. That leaves us in a precarious position." Kroder spoke gravely, "That means we have a decision to make, do we reveal ourselves to the outside, and go into business for ourselves. Or come up with a new plan. What is certain is that we can't continue like this."

Shock rode on the faces of the officers and scientists, "We shall meet again tomorrow, submit your plans then and then I will decide what course to follow. Dismissed," Kroder ordered, opening the doors to the conference room, leaving to prep the shuttle for the ride down to Fydir Prime.

The Fydirian Council of Seers held its meetings in a castle deep within a cave. Kroder walked in after the herald whom announced his visit. The Fydirians were a very medieval people, they still believed in chivalry, but they did have seers and sorcerers who could manipulate the Force. It was the council of seers to whom Kroder went for advice and guidance after fifteen years.

"Welcome back, One from the Stars, we have seen your return in our dreams," the head of the Council greeted, "We have seen the many changes, many changes that have affected you. We knew you would come to us for guidance."

Torrhen, the seer spoke, "you have found a son, yet you yourself are lost. You play in a political game, but in reality you are but a piece of a game beyond mortal comprehension. We see dark clouds in your future. There will be a confrontation, the future is clouded, even from us. Through the dark clouds all we see and feel are rage and pain. We are sorry we cannot see anymore but that is all that the Force reveals."

With that, Kroder was escorted from the hall, he wondered, _what confrontation? When and what pain will there be? I already swim in it. Further pain won't do any harm, except to those who want to hurt me._ His mind hardened itself at that thought, he would inflict pain on those who hurt him and destroyed his foundations. _Yes, they would pay and pay dearly_.

The meeting between the heads was a formality, all the power actually lay with him and his fleet, and he had the Force. The heads and his chief officers gathered in his stateroom on the installation over Fydir Prime. He called for their opinions, most were in favour of negotiating with the Federation. This irritated Kroder, "How can you call yourself loyal Sons of the Emperor, if you fold and bleat like sheep when things don't seem to be going well. The Emperor may be dead, but as long as I draw breath, his ideals live, and we still have a purpose, to destroy the Rebels." The others saw the dark fire in his eyes, the first signs of madness, induced by connection to the Force. They became worried.

"Captain Dermayil, face it, there is no more Empire to go back to, we are all that is left, and we have nothing, at least we have a chance with the Alliance," a voice spoke, the security chief, Captain Orton. Other voices added to the agreement, infuriating Kroder further, he lashed out with the Force, sending a wave of kinetic energy, upsetting many of the seats in the stateroom. Couches clattered as Kroder's anger vented itself, for all of a moment before he controlled himself again. He saw the shock on the faces of his officers at his outburst. He decided now was the time to strike, they were surprised; they could be bullied into obeying.

"We must attack, we will destroy the Rebels no matter what. That is my decision. I am Commander of this mission and this is my decree," Kroder shouted, slamming his fist onto the table, "The Emperor would have killed anyone who disobeyed his orders and from now on, so will I. I will show no mercy. Dismissed. Now. Leave."

Kroder was inwardly incensed at the sheer gall of his subordinates, they wanted to surrender to the Rebels, no loyal Imperial would surrender to the Rebels, they would have to be destroyed and he would be the instrument of that destruction and along the way he would get some sweet revenge.

Having set a trap for the Rebels two weeks earlier, Kroder expected at least a small fleet to investigate the carefully sliced lie he had placed, he was surprised when he saw one battered corvette. _This is going to be too easy._ It was then he detected the presence of Jedi. _So now it gets interesting, but they are no match for my power_.

Sitting on the command chair of the _Dark Avatar_, Kroder relaxed into the flow of the Force calling to his command the technique of Battle Meditation taught by the esteemed Master Bastila. Her projection stood on the ground in front of him, her voice guiding him into the flow of the Force. _Lets see how your vaunted Jedi Battle Meld stands up to _ _Battle__ Meditation_ Kroder thought as the battle joined and the squadrons were launched.

Major Jaina Solo and Twin Suns Squadron launched from the bay of the _Freedom of Sullust_, an aging Corellian Corvette which served as their carrier for their patrol. The sudden appearance of a black Imperial Star Destroyer which did not register as a friend on the IFF had caused the Captain to scramble fighters and to approach. The Imperial Star Destroyer opened fire on the Corvette just as the fighters had scrambled, obliterating it in a barrage of laser fire. "Twin Suns, scramble and prepare for a retreat into hyperspace. It was then she saw the second ship, a smaller ship, an Interdictor Star Destroyer, all painted in black like the other. She knew that they were trapped by the gravity well generators that it would have just bought online, their only chance was to run to the other side of the system outside the range of the interdictor.

The harsh bark of her second in command Lowbacca came over the comm as her squadron split into three, with Lowbacca and Tesar Sebatyne leading the other two flights. She felt the three of their minds connect in the battle meld as the approaching enemy squadrons came, she stretched out with the Force and tried to read their minds, it was then the panic set in over the meld, she felt a wave of contempt roll across the Force, it was unmistakeable, she felt the minds of the enemy pilots close to her, she could feel Lowie and Tesar's alarm as they realised that they had stumbled on someone well versed in the Force.

_Well then, I guess then we have to make him or her try to predict what we would do, but our options are quite limited_, she thought as she avoided the lasers from the first pursuing squadrons, she saw that they were quite strange, unlike anything she had seen before. She saw a linked blast from two of the enemy fighters shred Three to pieces, her squadmates were falling, only the superior sense through the Force augmenting her awareness was keeping her and the other Jedi in the squadron alive. _Uncle Luke would need to know about this, this new threat and Jacen too_.

Kroder let contempt fill his message through the Force, as he ordered his squadrons to cease pursuit, _after all they won't find us, it was only bad timing that they stumbled over us in the first place_. _They can worry about it as much as they want to, they won't look right under their nose and the Emperor taught me enough about hiding to basically allow me to walk right next to them without them registering anything._

A message went out to the GFFA, its sender unknown, but it detailed the operations and location of Project Byss. The sender sat at the terminal, knowing it was for the best, even though the Captain had specifically forbidden it, he was wrapped up in his grief and his emotion.

A/n: Anyway the stunning conclusion shall be coming up soon


	7. Emperor's Shadow Part 7

Emperor's Shadow 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars

GFFA intelligence chief, Belindi Kalenda, looked at the report on her table, outlining the existence and the location and purpose of Project Byss. She whistled when she read up on its mission. A mission would be needed soon, she had already heard of the strike against Twin Suns squadron and Chiss Squadron. Perhaps they were connected somehow, though it was Clawcraft in the first and Uglies in the second.

A new war may arise but the chance to remove a potential enemy cheaply appealed to her. She would accept the offer, she only had the commanding officer to remove from this soon to be ex-imperial group. They were ready to turn on him anytime, however, the datapad specifically requested the presence of Jacen Solo. Belindi had considered this a hoax or a trap but his last bizarre request convinced her that it was genuine.

The datapad outlined the defences of Project Byss and also said that insertion would not work, they would have to bring a fleet in. It took two weeks to get the necessary ships and the necessary people to come, a shuttle bought Master Jacen and his apprentice, Jarec to the _Harbinger_, as it and its taskforce set out for the Fydir Star Cluster and Project Byss.

"Who has betrayed me," an enraged Kroder demanded, the fire burning in his eyes, full of rage, "who led the Rebels here?" His feelings were a storm of anger and hurt. He could barely keep control of his battle meditation, as he saw the Rebel battle fleet emerge from hyperspace, just as they were preparing to launch an attack on Rebel space.

"We all did," his senior officers all spoke, "this is for the best, we understand that you grieve personally for the Emperor, but the reality is different, and we have to make do with what we have."

"Understand", he bellowed, his emotions so close to boiling over, "You understand nothing," grief and anger were pouring over into his words. Outside the other ships of Project Byss transmitted its surrender. "If you will not fight them, then I will fight them alone." He let his emotions rule, as he dropped his control over the battle and unleashed the fury of the Force, pushing everyone out of the way slamming them violently as made his way to the _Shadow_.

Once onboard, he powered up the yacht and blasted out of the hangar. Part of him wanted to blow the _Dark Avatar_ into smithereens but it was his ship, after the Rebels were repulsed I will control it once more, with an iron fist. So he looped around under it and dropped towards Fydir Prime, intending to take out any troops the Rebels would land, he knew that they were soft and would not risk an orbital bombardment as long as the Fydirians were there.

Meanwhile, the senior officers on board the _Dark Avatar_ were regretful, they did not like betraying their Captain, who had lead them for so long and had supported and treated them fairly, but they knew that they were right and the Captain was overwrought with emotions, they saw the _Shadow_ slip down towards Fydir.

Captain Falayn the troop commander, signalled for communications to open with the Alliance fleet, he saw the face of Jedi Knight Jacen Solo on the other end of the holo-transmission. He spoke in his crisp military tone, "All of our ships are now passive, the Captain has fled onto the planet's surface, you should be able to engage him there. Please save him…" the words stopped from his mouth as he saw a young man emerge from the side of the holo.

"Captain, what is the matter," Jacen asked as he saw the hologram of Captain Falayn stop mid-sentence as his apprentice Jarec came to stand next to him.

"That young man, next to you, he, he looks exactly like the Captain, Jedi Solo," Captain Falayn replied.

"What is the Captain's last name?" Jacen asked, slowly forming a conclusion in his mind, as facts started falling into place.

"Our leader, is Captain Kroder Dermayil, codename Emperor's Shadow," Captain Falayn replied, wondering why Jedi Solo would ask such a question.

Jarec at the other end, next to Jacen heard Captain Falayn's revelation, "We have to go and save father, I can't lose him." Master Jacen agreed, and they both ran off leaving the Captain of the _Harbinger_ to negotiate with Captain Falayn, whilst they boarded a shuttle and went planetside.

Kroder stormed into the keep where the Council of Seers were, flinging the guards and anyone who blocked his path out of the way. Even the Fydirians trained in the Force were no match for Kroder's raw power fuelled by his emotions. The wooden door to the chamber where the seers sat burst open into splinters each of them flying straight towards one of the seers who tried in vain to block or deflect the splinters, but couldn't. The splinters embedded themselves in the bodies of the Seers, killing them. Kroder then proceeded to mangle their bodies, tearing them apart and scattering them with the Force, as the visceral beast of his feelings within was given control.

Rage and pain clouded his mind, he saw two Jedi, two enemies who were coming to kill him, to cause more pain more hurt, they had to _die_. He activated his black lightsaber, its shimmering blade extending in front of him, as he assumed the deadly Vapaad Form VII stance. He called the Force to him and then attacked, taking on both Jedi at once.

Jarec saw his father, the fire in his eyes, the light of a madman, he saw his father draw his lightsaber and assume a fighting stance, _no please don't, don't do this to me father,_ he tried to send through the Force but all he saw was choking emotion, all he felt was the anger and the hurt radiating from his father through the Force. Then he saw his father leap, assisted by the Force, bringing lightsaber down in a crowning blow, had Jarec not scrambled and blocked with his verdant white lightsaber in time. His father kept on attacking pushing forward, deadly, Jarec had hardly any time to react between attacks, he saw his father's saber lash out at Master Jacen as well, his father was taking on both the Jedi at once and winning but not scoring any hits.

Suddenly a fourth lightsaber, a deep cerulean blue joined the dance of sabers, in the hand of his father, as Kroder switched to the formidable double lightsaber style favoured by Master Revan. The four blades danced forwards and backwards, as his father attacked and Jarec and Jacen kept on getting pushed back.

The rage drove Kroder on, he needed to kill, he needed to make others feel the pain that he had felt, the anger he had felt, mostly he needed his liege lord. His jet black and cerulean blue lightsabers flitted around like dustmotes as they struck the Jedi's verdant white and green. He concentrated his attack on the green lightsaber user, distracting him long enough with the blades such that he could extend fully and kick the Jedi in the stomach, extending beautifully, taking the air out of the enemy Jedi's stomach sending him sprawling on the ground twenty metres away with the Force, the lightsaber clattering away.

He turned his attention back to the white, swirling both lightsabers in intricate patterns he attacked forcing Jarec back step by step, inch by inch, until he launched a furious riposte, disarming his son. His next blow with elbow knocked Jarec to the ground. Kicking the now deactivated white lightsaber away he walked over and stood over his son, his black lightsaber ready to stab downwards, to end the life of the enemy Jedi. _Destroy them, _his emotions clouded his eyes and his sense as he prepared to stab downwards viciously.

Jarec lay there, beneath his father, stunned at the ferocity of his attack, he saw his father raise his lightsaber high, ready to kill him. Jarec had no choice, he was too hurt to get up, he felt the Force pin him in place, there was no more chances after this, he had to get his father to stop. _No don't do this father please, DO NOT DO THIS!_ Using the last reserves of the Force that he had, he tried he pushed the image of himself lying there about to be decapitated by the crowning blow that Kroder was going to give him.

The fog of anger and hurt was still swirling through Kroder's head as he began to stab downwards, it was then that Jarec's last-ditch effort penetrated the veil, _No don't do this father please, DO NOT DO THIS!_, he heard it in his mind a faraway echo but there, and then he saw the image, the scene he was about to kill his own flesh and blood, the blade had already started its descent he could not stop it, so he deflected it, slightly to the right he saw that he missed and then there was a heavy blow to his head and he fell forward and everything went black.

Jarec saw his father's lightsaber move to the right and miss his ear by the barest of margins, and then his father's prone body fell on top of him, as the black lightsaber's deadman switch deactivated it. He saw Master Jacen standing above the both of them, the hilt of his lightsaber held as if it were a hammer.

"Master Jacen, thanks for saving me," Jarec said, as he rolled his father's prone body to the side and lay it on the ground. He saw that his father's face was still contorted in pain and agony, even though he was unconscious.

"It was you who saved us," Master Jacen replied, a small smile on his lips formed, "you did it, you saved your father and both of us."

"Thank you, Master," Jarec replied, "but is there anything we can do for father, he looks to be in so much pain."

"It will take time but he will get better," Jacen reassured his apprentice, "right now we will need to remove him from here, move him somewhere where he can find peace, somewhere away from others. He needs to reconnect with the wonders of life."

Meanwhile, the native Fydiri had arrived and peeked inside the hall seeing Jacen and Jarec, one of them approached and spoke, "It is as was foretold by the Seers; they foresaw their own deaths. But the One from the Stars will leave, it was foretold that he would. You must take him with you when you leave. May the Force be with you."

"The Force be with you too," Jacen replied, "Come, we will take the _Shadow_, and find a place for your father." Using the Force, they carried Kroder's unconscious form out of the castle and onto the _Shadow_, where they lay him on the bed. His features were still contorted in anguish. _How am I going to help you?_, Jarec helplessly thought as he held his father's hand between his own as Master Jacen flew the ship into hyperspace, the brilliant stars elongating out the viewport.

Deep in the Unknown Regions, the red-eyed Chiss sat at a computer terminal, reading the transmission from its spy. Her eyes lit up as she read the information, _it was time, the fleet elements are in position, time to strike!_

Meanwhile, back in orbit around Fydir Prime, the peace agreement between the Alliance and the members of Project Byss were being finalized. Project Byss would become Fydir Engineering Corporation, and would become a major shipyard installation, after being granted membership in the Alliance. The peace treaty was signed by the scientists, and the space navy commanders of Project Byss and the Alliance navy commander, with formal alliance to be sealed within one month.

Kroder still lay unconscious after three days, his face still twisted in agony, Jarec had kept his beside vigil, for three days, drawing on the Force to sustain him, but now fatigue was starting to tire him. He could feel the Force rage through his father's body almost screaming. His father seemed to be drawing on the Force to sustain his body unconsciously. He felt his eyes droop, almost close, he sought to draw on the Force to sustain him once more, but before he could do so he caught a glimpse of a vision, he had somehow linked to his father's dream, his father seemed to be broadcasting his nightmare through the Force, though weaker than it was last time, Jarec caught a few fleeting glimpses, before the Force woke him again and the visions passed.

_It seems like that I can only see his dreams in a semi-conscious state_, Jarec realised, _so I'll have to somehow use the Force to keep myself in this state so that I can see._ Drawing on the Force, even though he was now bone-tired, he eased himself into a state of semi-consciousness and then he saw, he saw his father's nightmare, transmitted through the Force.

_It was like a raging storm, images flashed by, some were mundane, snippets of life on Byss. He saw his father's graduation from Carida, the happiness he felt when he had been rewarded by the Emperor Reborn with his personal command, the _Dark Avatar_. He saw the missions that the Dark Avatar had been on, he saw the satisfaction on the Emperor's face as his father reported a success. Then there was a scene where his ships had battled some Republic Forces, another montage of the Emperor giving his father new mission orders and then a gift, a small dodecahedron _which seemed familiar somehow_, he heard the Emperor outline the parameters of Project Byss, he felt the adoration his father had felt for Palpantine. _

_He felt the anger of his father against Masters Luke and Mara. _He saw the vision from Denon again, he saw what had happened to his father again, it bought tears to his eyes, knowing that his father had lied to him about his past, but he was mature enough and wise enough to know it was for his own protection, he understood enough that his father's links to Palpantine should never be revealed, but he felt his father could have at least trusted him with the truth. The visions continued.

_He saw his father's torture by Republic interrogators, he felt the pain and the hurt. He witnessed his father's time in prison, he saw the beating he received at the hands of the guards, the prison fights, he felt the blows that he received, but most of all he felt pain. He sensed his father's feelings of anger in fistfights, he felt pain and helplessness and rage as his father had been shot with a blaster set on stun, shocking all his nerves at the same time. The rage pierced through, overlay this whole period of his life. _

Physically and mentally exhausted, Jarec could not keep up his effort any longer as his body demanded rest, he feel asleep, wondering how he could help his father, the same way Jacen had helped him past his rage and hurt.

Jacen wondered into the ship's quarters where Kroder lay cataleptic, he saw Jarec had fallen asleep on top of his father's prone body. Jacen reflected on the events of the past few days, he had to make some important decisions. He only hoped that the Force would guide him to make the right choice.

Images flashed within Kroder's mind as a panorama of images, flashes from the Force replayed themselves through his mind. He saw the images of his life, his devotion to his liege, his realisation of the death of his liege, but most of all the torture of having his mind raped against his will replayed itself over and over again, the pain becoming more intense each time.

The waves of pain could be felt emanating from his prone body throughout the ship. Jacen had to fight and concentrate to keep the pain from overwhelming him, as the ship went on autopilot to Denon.

Jarec, awoke, saw that he had fallen asleep. He called to Master Jacen, "We need to do something, the pain it is hurting, almost blinding out all other feelings, all other sense."

Jacen replied, "I know, but with a mind hurt like that, it would take one very strong in the Force and closely bonded to heal him."

Jarec knew, it would all be up to him to do it, "I will do this, I will heal my father." He steeled himself as he gathered the Living Force to his body channelling it, refining it until he entered into his father's mind.

_You can't die! You have to live! For me! For yourself!_ Jarec concentrated and tried to push through the formidable shield blanketing Kroder's mind. He pushed forwards, triying to break through to his father, who was drowning in his own pain and anger. He swam through his father's pain. He pushed harder and harder, as the bond between them grew stronger and stronger, harder to break and withdraw. It required giving up his whole being. Finally he saw, there at the centre, huddled in a foetal position; he saw his father, shivering, alone, lost. He stretched out his hand beckoning to his father who did not notice. He pressed on, until he was floating next to his father, he tried to gently lift him up, called on the Force, using all of his strength he lifted, to save his father, he pushed exerted himself, let the joy of the Force fill him as he lifted.

And his father moved, up along with him, up through the barriers of pain and anger, until once again they were at the surface, he let the link snap, as he returned to his own body, and left his father again. He woke bone-tired but successful. His father's face was on longer in pain, indeed it was peaceful.

Days later, Kroder's body had healed, he was no longer in danger, but a gloom of melancholy hung over him, he got up and proceeded to the pilot's room, "I have to go away, somewhere, to think, to see where I fit into the scheme of things now," he said to Jacen and Jarec. "I will drop you at Denon and then leave again, I shall take the _Shadow_."

When he got to the spaceport he dropped the two Jedi off, and blasted away to wherever the Force would take him. It was his journey now, he was free of the past, hesitant but hopeful about the future. He knew he had a son to return to, as soon as he found himself, but he knew it would be a hard and long journey, to reconcile what he had been, what he was now, and what he might be in the future. The Force would guide him, that he knew.


End file.
